An Immortal's Favour

Jack- The Second Victim

*

I was able to reach The Zendua in record time and couldn't wait to set off the following day to the next stop on the list. Still, a quick rest before then would've been nice. I'd hardly booked a room before Gale burst into the reception area and dragged me by the arm towards the car park.

Hours later, after dozing off in yet another reception area, Gale and I left the correction school behind, slipping into the mild afternoon and getting swept away by the crowd.

While drinking some red tea in her hotel room, we rested, the both of us too tired to talk much at first. She'd used up the last of her energy giving a brief explanation of just what she'd been doing at the correction school in the first place, and I'd used what was left of mine listening to her. She brought her cup up to her lips and closed her eyes. It took a few seconds for the tea to kick in before I stood up, cracking my stiff joints. Following suit, Gale rose, moving towards the door.

"You know, Karlton's leaving this evening," she said, one hand already pushing the door to her room open. It was so strange to see her looking subdued, so strange to see her quiet.

"Mm. He'd mentioned it over the phone."

"I'm going to see if he's about. Join me?"

"Sure."

We went to everywhere in the hotel we thought he'd be at, but the guy was nowhere to be found. He hadn't brought any cars of his own to the hotel, so he could've easily left by taxi earlier without either of us knowing. I wouldn't have put it past him.

"I suppose he could've gone out into town again," Gale thought aloud, shrugging like it meant nothing to her. "Let's go swimming and look around for him later."

I agreed to her suggestion, and it wasn't long before the two of us were floating around in the pool. A little girl gasped and edged towards us, her mother (I assumed) not far behind.

"You're the magic lady! Do the tricks!" She pointed at Gale, who smiled back politely and came over to her. As the two talked, I swam a few laps and a fell into a daydream, slowing down before coming to a stop at the ladder and climbing out.

"I thought I might find one of you here. Though I betted on finding Bo alone."

I knew that voice.

"Afternoon, man," I greeted. "Hey, are you alright? Your face-" Red dusted the whites of Karlton's eyes.

"Let's sit over there. There's something I need to talk to you about." He gestured at the umbrella table near the poolside bar, pushing his hands firmly into the pockets of his shorts.

"What is it?" I breathed, not at all liking the state he was in. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gale watching us, a confused frown on her face. She immediately lifted herself out of the water, making her way towards us. Unsure of what to do, I hesitated, still peering at her over Karlton's shoulder. Once he noticed where I was looking, Karlton turned.

"Bo- hey. I need to speak to Jacob in private. So could please..." The last of his words dwindled into silence, his fingers unable to stay still as they twitched over his thigh. Gale nodded, hurt flashing across her face for a moment, and returned to the pool. "Listen, if I could, I wouldn't be bothering you about this, but I need your help. You see, someone I know has fallen ill. With your illness."

"Who?"

Karlton winced. "An ex-partner of Pa's. I didn't think he'd get into such a mess about it but-" He cut himself off to groan. "I'd heard about your case while I was still living in Rachon, and I thought, since you're fine now, you might know what to do about it?" he finished, an air of hopefulness around him that almost made me shudder.

I knew I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about the luck brew. But I couldn't keep it with the knowledge that someone else needed it more than me, not after all the trouble others had gone through with regards to Father, just to help out Mother and me. It didn't sit right with me to do nothing. Oblivious to everything, Gale splashed around in the pool with the girl from earlier. The mother sat on the pool's edge, flicking her feet through the water.

"Come with me."

I took him to the car park.

Despite myself, uncertainty slowed my movements as I pulled from one of the trunks the vial of luck brew that Gale had passed onto me. I pressed it into Karlton's hands. "I'd brought this medicine with me in case I ever got sick again. Get this to her and make sure she drinks it all. She should be fine afterwards."

"Thank you, Jacob. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but Pa hasn't been himself in the past few months, and this illness isn't making matters any better." With a dry chuckle, he pocketed the vial, commenting, "I guess he still cares for her, even after everything, even after all this time."

He looked down then, almost lost in his thoughts.

"Karlton?" At the sound of his name, the man stepped forward, pulling me into a tight hug, saying nothing. "Best of luck."

He squeezed tighter, but finally moved back, looking like a huge weight had been pushed off of his shoulders. "Pa has no excuse for moping about now," he murmured. He took the pen from the front pocket of his shirt. "Do want my number, in case you wanna talk, that kinda thing?"

"Sure." I gave him my hand.

One look at him was enough to see just how truly he cared for his father, despite all the hardship that man had put his son through. It made me think.

After returning to the pool and giving Gale a quick goodbye, he was gone. The sun had started to set, and Gale and I stood some ways away from the water, our dark shadows stretching out behind us.

"I wonder why he was in such a hurry," Gale said, making her way back inside, leaving me and the empty space of the pool area behind her.

 I decided to head over to my own room. There was plenty to still see in the city, but with Gale having stayed for nearly week, she'd come across most of it already, and there was nothing of interest I that hadn't seen before. Not that I felt up to looking around, anyway. Falling against my plush mattress, I let the events of the past few days sink in. With only the orange walls of the room to keep me company, I itched to talk to someone- and more so than usual. My eyes searched for a telephone.

"Freya?" I called, having persuaded myself to get up at last.

"I didn't expect a call from you, Jacob." There was scuffling at her end of the line and a thud as something fell.

"What was that?"

Freya paused. "I'm packing for a last-minute trip. Business related. But- everything's- so-" Each word of hers was punctuated by her fumbling around for one thing or another. "Where did I leave the toothbrushes?"

"How's the missus?"

Altogether, the movement stopped. Freya smacked her lips together, silent for a second. "She could be better. We're all a bit frazzled. But with it being so hot over here and her all over the place, forgetting to eat and drink, of all things-"

"Has something happened?" Already, a string of unfavourable scenarios had flashed through my head.

Quick to deny, Freya said, "No, no, no. Nothing bad. I promise."

"Could I talk to her? Where is she?"

"Asleep." My shoulders sagged, but I pulled myself together.

"Oh."

"Maybe next time."

*

Discussion: Jacob and Karlton are now bros? Yes? No? Do you think Jacob is right in giving the vial over?

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